Learn more
about the biggest scams of 2011 –
Did Facebook try to give you $1 million? Did you see the video of Osama bin
Laden’s death? Did you get a middle-of-the-night call from the hotel front
desk? These all were on the BBB’s Top Ten Scams of 2011 list.

Scammers
also were at work on tricking consumers about job offers, sweepstakes and
lotteries, social media and dating, home improvements, check cashing, e-mail
offers, sales, mortgages, and investments.

Sketchy
cab drivers: Be wary if drivers claim that certain hotels or
motels are closed and “suggest” other locations. There may be incentives for
drivers to create business for less-than-ethical companies. Check bbb.org
to find reliable taxi services.

Be sure to compare prices. While Black Friday often offers
the lowest deals of the year, you might not be able to get one of the
doorbuster items. Gift sets, holiday products, private label merchandise, and
specially-created bundles can be filler items, merchandise that is fluff
compared to the real deals. See dealnews.com’s “Watch Out for Black Friday
Filler Deals” for more information.

Black Friday precautions

Bring coupons and ads to the store with you, read the fine
print about limitations, be sure the deal doesn’t change at the cash register,
and ask about the refund policy. If you have problems, ask to talk with the
manager. Visit the Better Business Bureau's “Black Friday Bargains: Good Buy or Bust?” for details

Winter car tips

If you’re taking a trip, you might want to get a new pair of
wiper blades and carry jumper cables with you. See shopautoweek.com’s “Prep
Your Car for Winter Weather” for details.

Cyber Monday scams

Watch out for extremely low prices, blurry photos, little
product information, no contact information, unsecured web pages, and bad
reviews from consumers and the Better Business Bureau. Go to the BBB’s “Cyber
Monday: Counterfeit Sites and Sales” to learn more about computer shopping
traps.

May 25, 2012

Memorial Day is a time to honor those who serve and remember those who have died in war. But, it’s also become a time for scammers to target those who are serving or have served their nation, especially elderly veterans.

The Better Business Bureau is urging consumers and donors to be on the lookout for deals that seem too good to be true and for disreputable charities.

“Military personnel are targeted for a few reasons: they get a steady paycheck, they tend to be young, they move around a lot, if they’re deployed they may not be watching their finances/personal info closely, everything in the military revolves around their social security number, so it’s easy for them to have their identity stolen,” Coleen Smith, executive director of the BBB Education Foundation, said in a statement.

To avoid problems, visit www.give.org to verify a charity before donating and be on the lookout for these common scams:

Scams that target military personnel:

Fraudulent investors try to convince veterans to transfer their assets into an irrevocable trust.

Callers pose as the Veterans Administration and request military personnel to update credit card, bank, or other financial records with the VA.

Scammers pose as government contractors recruiting veterans and ask for a copy of the job applicants’ passport.

Companies specifically target military for services they could get for free or less expensively elsewhere.

Ads offer military discounts and incentives online on housing and then cheat service personnel out of their security deposit.

Scams that target military supporters

Scammers try to sell services such as security systems to spouses of deployed military personnel by saying the service member ordered it to protect his or her family.

People sell stolen vehicles at a low price and claim to be soldiers who need to sell quickly because they’ve been deployed.

Individuals pose on online dating services as a lonely service member in a remote part of Iraq or Afghanistan, and ask for money to be wired to a third party for some emergency.

The BBB advises service members, veterans, and all consumers never to give personal identification information – Social Security, bank account, military identification, or credit card numbers – to anyone who contacts you by phone or e-mail, and to be wary of any solicitations that involve purchasing something or transferring money.

May 05, 2012

Face book offers many privacy controls that may not be easy for consumers to understand.

Below are nine tips from Consumer Reports that will help users use privacy tools:

Think before typing. Even if a user deletes his or her account, which takes Face book about a month, some information can remain in Facebook’s computers for up to 90 days.

Regularly check Face book exposure. Each month, users should check how their page looks to others. Review individual privacy settings if necessary.

Protect basic information. Set the audience for profile items, such as town or employer. And users should remember: Sharing info with “friends of friends” could expose them to tens of thousands of strangers.

Know what can’t be protected. Each user’s name and profile picture are public. To protect one’s identity, consumers shouldn’t use a photo or use one that doesn’t show their face.

“UnPublic” the wall. Set the audience for all previous wall posts to just friends.

Turn off Tag Suggest. If users would rather not have Face book automatically recognize their face in photos, they could disable that feature in their privacy settings. The information will be deleted.

Block apps and sites that snoop. Unless users intercede, friends can share personal information about them with apps. To block that, they should use controls to limit the information apps can see.

Keep wall posts from friends. Users don’t have to share every wall post with every friend. They can also keep certain people from viewing specific items in their profile.

When all else fails, deactivate. When a user deactivates his or her account, Face book retains the profile data but the account is made temporarily inaccessible. Deleting an account makes it inaccessible forever.

March 14, 2012

Over the last year or so, I’ve received dozens of robocalls from Cardholder Services and other companies. Lately, the pitch from a frequent caller is to take a 30-minute political survey and get a free trip to the Caribbean.

The calls keep coming on both my landline phone and my cell phone, despite the fact that both are registered with Do Not Call databases.

My sister suggested selecting option No. 2, which is supposed to take you off the robocall list. I’ll see how that works.

Robocalls pitching goods or services to consumers are illegal unless you've given the caller permission to call you, according to the Federal Trade Commission. And, in addition, it’s most likely that the pitch is a scam.

The FTC said in a statement that it’s cracking down on illegal robocalls offering fraudulent credit card services, auto warranty protection, home security systems, and grant procurement programs.

Fraudulent telemarketers often manipulate Caller ID information to hide their identity, according to the FTC. In some cases, the telemarketer wants you to think the call is from your bank or another company you've done business with.

Sometimes, the phone number may show up as "unknown" or "123456789." Other times, the number is a real one belonging to someone who has no idea his or her number is being misused.

If you have Caller ID, you can choose not to answer calls from numbers you don't recognize or hang up after you learn it’s a robocall, the FTC recommends.

The department urges consumers to learn more about their new health insurance rights and the resources offered by the Affordable Care Act.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

The agency encourages consumers nationwide to protect themselves and make better-informed decisions by taking advantage of available resources. Information on credit, debit, and prepaid cards are offered.

And don't forget to file consumer complaints when you have problems in the marketplace. Filing complaints lets companies and government regulators know when things are going wrong when consumers purchase goods and services.

January 28, 2012

Today is Data Privacy Day. Its purpose is to promote awareness about privacy and to educate consumers about the best privacy practices. Data Privacy Day also is a reminder for consumers to check their privacy settings on social networks and wireless connections.

New Mexico Attorney General Gary King offers these tips for consumers for keeping private information secure:

Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software and a firewall: Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Keep them up-to-date and check to ensure that your firewall is turned on.

Turn off identifier broadcasting. Most wireless routers broadcast a signal to any device in the vicinity announcing their presence. You don’t need to broadcast this information if the person using the network already knows it’s there. Disable the identifier broadcasting mechanism if your wireless router allows it.

Change the identifier on your router from the default. The identifier, SSID, for your router is likely to be a standard, default ID assigned by the manufacturer to all hardware of that model. Change your identifier to something only you know, and remember to configure the same unique ID into your wireless router and your computer so they can communicate.

Change your router’s pre-set password for administration: The manufacturer assigned the router a standard default password. Those default passwords are available to anyone, including hackers, so change it to something only you know. When choosing a password, make sure to choose one of sufficient length and complexity to prevent it from being hacked.

Turn off your wireless network when not in use: If you turn the router off when you’re not using it, you limit the amount of time that it’s susceptible to hacking.

Don’t assume public “hot spots” are secure: Café, hotel, and airport “hot spots” are convenient, but they aren’t secure.

Be careful about the information you access or send from a public wireless network: Consumers should assume other people can see anything you see or send over a public wireless network.

For more information on keeping your private data safe, see the National Cyber Security Alliance’s Staysafeonline.org.

June 06, 2011

Today’s technology is constantly being replaced by updated models with newer, more exciting features. To keep up with the latest technology, more and more retailers are offering consumers buy-back programs.

The Better Business Bureau advises consumers to weigh the pros and cons of these programs before spending their money.

Typical programs require a one-time fee that is paid at the time of the original gadget purchase. As long as your gadget is in good condition, many buy-back programs allow you to trade-up items such as your cell phone, laptop, tablet, and television for a percentage of its current value. Usually, this credit will come in the form of a gift card that can be used toward the purchase of a newer model.

"If you are an individual that likes to stay on top of the latest and greatest technology, then a buy-back program may be for you," Stephen A. Cox, president and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, said in a statement. "But, as with anything else, you will need to do your research to find out if the program is worth the cost."

The BBB recommends that consumers consider the advantages and disadvantages before taking part in a retailer’s buy-back program:

Buy-back programs can provide a sense of insurance on your product. Buy-back programs guarantee a resale value, meaning they act as insurance against loss of value. But like any insurance policy, its true value can become hard to define. Before becoming a member of a buy-back program, make sure to read the fine print. Many buy-back options have conditions that could keep you from being able to sell back your used gadget.

Remember that the deal usually favors the retailer. In exchange for your old gadget, your return often will be given as a gift card. The plan and gift card mean you’re required to use the retailer for your next technology purchase. In addition, you may end up paying triple the sales tax when the exchanges are done. While sales tax rules vary from state to state and buy-back programs vary from program to program, you’re the one responsible for paying the tax. By paying the tax once when you buy the gadget and again when you return it, and then again when you use the gift card, you could end up paying triple sales tax.

Gadget-buy backs may be a problem the forgetful or the disorganized. If you haven’t saved your original receipts, power cords, and manuals, you could be at a loss or your payout could be less than expected. Most buy-back programs insist that the original items be brought back to the store at the time of the exchange.

Mobile phone contracts aren’t covered. When you purchase a new phone and add the retailer’s buy-back program, you can resell your phone back to the retailer for the agreed on dollar amount. However, your cell phone provider will keep billing you for the length of your contract.

You can compromise your identity. Many electronic items such as your smartphone or laptop can hold large amounts of personal information. If this information gets into the wrong hands, your identity could be stolen. Be sure to fully wipe out all personal data.

You could get more for your electronic gadgets elsewhere. Reselling electronics isn’t new. Many consumers use sites like eBay and Craigslist to sell their gadgets. In most cases, you could get more for your electronics by using these sites than opting for a retailer’s buy-back program.